Healthy living secrets
“I lost three stone about five years ago which definitely helps with energy levels and health in general, and I’ve always been active – I even did the London Marathon.
“I used to do yoga intermittently, but at the beginning of lockdown I started doing a 90-day challenge of half-an-hour a day and I’ve continued with it. For me, it works better to fit in a short amount of movement every day than going to the gym.
“Over the summer my youngest daughter and
I did a couple of virtual challenges, the 21mile English Channel followed by the 91-mile Hadrian’s Wall
– we cycled and ran the distances. Having the ‘bling’ of a medal to show for effort is a nice reward!
“I’ve long given up on diets, having yo-yo dieted for most of my adult life. When I lost weight I followed a loose 5/2 fasting regime, so rather than cutting out food groups I cut down on eating opportunities. Since then, I’ve tried to watch portion sizes, with less dependence on flour-based foods (although bread and cakes are still definitely on the menu from time to time!)
“A trick I learned from my days of travelling, if I felt a tickle in my throat, was to eat really spicy food. Chillies help break up mucus and your body heats up in response so you sweat out toxins.”
“I consider myself healthy as I have lots of energy, feel very positive, and manage to do a lot in one day.
“I haven’t eaten meat for about 39 years, but I do eat some fish. My diet mainly consists of lots of organic vegetables. My husband makes his own gluten-free bread, or we buy sourdough when we run out. I drink three small glasses of wine a week – again, organic to avoid pesticides. If we go out, I tend to have a few more glasses, so take milk thistle drops in water before I drink, as it helps the liver detox.
“I think it’s so important to vary exercise and have a goal. I never use scales, but a goal for me would be body shape and tone. I also use my mind to see what I want, for example, when I’m doing a spinning class I concentrate on my bum lifting and thighs toning. I hold an image in my mind’s eye of how I want to look and feel when I get older. I appreciate what I have in my life. Gratitude actually changes body chemistry and when practised enough, it does actually work.”